Reunion?
by DoctorWhovia
Summary: It's a year and a half after Stabler left SVU, and Olivia still can't talk to him.  What happens when she's called to case and he might be the suspect?
1. Chapter 1

The light of morning had just began to appear and the dark blue of night was beginning to lighten as the short brunette stared out the window of the bus as it approached the corner of Broadway and Waverly, the location of NYU's College of Nursing. She hated going to work before 8, but it was part of working as an analyst of student surveys for accreditation of a prestigious school. She had two weeks to analyze over 4000 responses. She sighed as she pressed the indicator for the bus to stop. Perhaps the largest cup of coffee form the next door McDonalds might help her wake up and get some motivation to work. She walked across the snow lined street from the bus stop, the cold wind biting through her clothes. It was the week between Christmas and New Year's and it was colder than she was used to. Then again, she had grown up in a warmer climate so the winters here were a difficult adjustment.

After getting her coffee in a surprisingly un-crowded McDonalds, the girl walked into the school's building. She smiled as she waved to the front desk security and flashed her name badge. Things were pretty relaxed and calm when students weren't in attendance so she breezed into the elevator to the 11th floor. The Nursing College was actually on the 10th floor, but she was more general staff so the powers that be liked for her to be nearer to the Admissions and registrar for NYU. Still, that didn't help this week when there was no one there. The main school and departments had this time off, but the Nursing College chose to work this time, giving its employees time to take as vacation later. All that meant was she would be alone on a dark and creepy floor. It unsettled her to no end, but, as she kept telling herself, this was part of the job and it paid the bills.

She exited the elevator on the half lit floor, and immediately walked towards her office door. There was one light switch in her little hallway, and she flipped it on as soon as she could to illuminate her area. Not that she was nervous or panicky, but something about a quiet area was unnerving today. She reached her door, set her coffee cup on the floor and reached for her keys. Not too safety conscious in a big city, she realized, but then again, who else was here? She opened the door to her pitch-black office. She had no outside windows and only one small window that faced the hallway so the room was dark a lot of the time. She stepped in and felt around for her desk lamp, the door started to shut behind her so she put her foot in the opening. The light popped and flashed to signify the bulb had lit its last.

"Great," she muttered to no one as she stepped into the office further, leaving her shoe in the door for a little more hall light. She placed her purse on the floor in front of her desk so it would bang into things as she felt around for the switch on the wall to her left. Suddenly, the door opened wide and she turned to see a large figure standing in the doorway. She tried to see his face, but the hall light behind him left it in shadow. The girl began to panic and lunged for her desk phone to call security, but the man moved and grabbed her arm. She tried to scream, but he hit her across the cheek which made her teeth rattle.

Reeling from the blow, she tried to come to grips with what was happening and how to get out of it. Someone was attacking her so it was now a question of making sure that no matter what, this guy wouldn't get away with it. Her analyst mind tried to take in as much information as it could. Smells, approximate build and height, clothes he was wearing, hair color. He kicked her shoe out of the way and the door slammed shut, killing whatever light she had. He pushed her to the floor and got on top of her., kicking the survival instinct into high gear. She began to hit at her attacker. She grabbed at hair and skin with her horribly short fingernails, hoping to get some sort of evidence. She had watched enough of those shows on the Discovery Channel to know that those things made a difference. The man grunted as he tried to control her. She felt sweat dripping from her attacker onto her skin as he ripped her clothes. He put his hand over her mouth and she bit down hard enough to draw blood. Then he sat up, grabbed her head and smacked it into the floor causing everything to go black.

Olivia Benson sat at her desk in the Manhattan SVU squad room staring at the red envelope. It was from her former partner, Elliot Stabler. She had been contemplating opening this for the past month since it landed on her desk. It had been over a year since her partner had retired without so much as a word of warning, and she hadn't really spoken to him since. It was too painful after all the cases they had worked and the experiences they had shared. She understood why he had left, but still, there was something about being able to say goodbye that gave it all closure.

The envelope was decorated with pretty writing which meant that Elliot's wife, Cathy, probably sent her a Christmas card. Last year's card still sat unopened in Olivia's drawer, but on the outside there was a message "To Elliot's office wife" with a smiley face. That was Cathy's nickname for Olivia since Elliot spent as much time with her as he did his own wife and sometimes more.

Olivia sighed and decided to open the envelope, if it was a Christmas card with a family photo, it might be nice to see little Eli, the youngest child, and how he had grown. She smiled as she realized he would be in kindergarten now. She had been there keeping his mother alive when Eli was born almost amongst a horrible car accident so she felt a slight connection to the kid.

"Olivia," the voice of her new partner, Nick Amaro, broke into her thoughts "we got a call at NYU."

Olivia shook her head to clear the semi-sentimental fog away. She looked up at Amaro and blinked. It was time to put her game face on, you would think rape would take a break over the holiday week, but didn't seem likely. She stood and grabbed her badge and gun. She walked out of the squad room with her partner, the envelope left unattended on her desk.

NYU

726 Broadway, 11th floor, Room 11B125

8:30 pm

The office was crawling with CSU techs fingerprinting and bagging what they could. The floor was covered with papers and folders but the desk was clear. The victim's purse was kicked around and there was a small blood pool on the floor near the desk. Benson and Amaro found a uniformed officer that looked to be the first on the scene. He was holding a cup of coffee, but his hands were shaking. Olivia looked at him with understanding eyes. She had a soft spot for rookies, and she remembered her first rape scene, it took a lot to process.

"Were you first on the scene, Officer", the officer looked up, his eyes wide and scared and he answered her. "Martin. Yes, I took the call. Security guard called it in. He said he was doing a walkthrough and saw a shoe in the hall and spilled coffee. He opened the door and found the victim. She…. Oh, God"

He broke and Olivia saw a tear forming in his eye. She stopped him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "calm down," she whispered, "tell me, where is the security guard?"

"Um, he rode with the victim to Bellevue. He said he would meet you guys there. In fact, he's the one who told me to call SVU, I couldn't remember SOP. Don't tell my captain I forgot, he'll have my ass." The fear was almost too much, but both of the detectives understood. At the beginning, no matter what you're taught, this job can rock you to your core.

"Don't worry, you're secret's safe with us," Amaro said, smiling, "Just make sure you stick to the facts and no one will ever know you had a human moment. Olivia, let's get to Bellevue and talk to our Good Samaritan."

Bellevue Hospital

Emergency Room

9:30 pm

Olivia walked through the halls of Bellevue as she had so many times before, but for some reason this time something seemed off. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. Something was gnawing at her, and her mind leapt to the thought of that red envelope on her desk and she suddenly wished she had opened it. Why was this thought coming to her now? She was on her way to meet a victim and she was thinking about a stupid Christmas card?

She reached the admit desk and smiled at a nurse that had been there for years but whose name Olivia failed to remember. An older nurse that she hadn't seen before stepped up.

"Can I help you," the nurse asked. Clearly she was new to this department or maybe this shift; she couldn't recognize the look of a detective. Olivia flashed her badge and the nurse studied it with a disapproving look.

"I'm Detective Benson, Manhattan SVU. I'm looking for a," she looked at the notes she got from the shaky officer after he took a breath, "Amanda Sorenson, she was brought in a couple of hours ago."

The nurse looked at a computer screen for the name and the uneasy feeling in Olivia began to grow worse. What was it about this victim that was causing this feeling that was now closer to dread? Why didn't she want to talk to this one? The nurse motioned for Olivia to follow her and the two walked down another hall to a room.

"The officer said the security guard who found her rode along, is he still here? I need to speak with him."

"Don't know, I came on after she came in, but there is a guy here with her, he's been outside the room almost like he was her personal guard or something." The nurse didn't seem upset or suspicious of a guard who supposedly found a rape victim and stayed with her until police arrived. Olivia had to admit, a rapist wouldn't insist on calling the right detectives or staying with the victim until they arrived at the hospital, but as her former partner would say "the perverts get stranger everyday". She resigned that she would play this by ear, and hoped her gut would lead her in the right direction.

As they got closer to the room, Olivia noticed a man in his 40's sitting in a chair outside the room, his head in his hands. It was clear that he was exhausted, but vigiliant. She had her badge still out from the desk and she readied to show it in case she needed to, but something told her that she wouldn't really need it.

"I'm Detective Benson" she began, trying to sound as official as possible in case he was a strange pervert and an official sounding voice would scare him, " I have a few questions for-"

"Liv?" A familiar voice said as the guard lifted his head. Olivia suddenly realized why she had an uneasy feeling and why her thoughts had kept turning to the abandoned envelope on her desk in the squad room. She had just come face to face with her old partner, Elliot Stabler….


	2. Chapter 2

Olivia blinked back what she realized were tears. It had been so long since she had seen the man that stood before her, but it felt like only days. There were so many thoughts running through her head she was finding it difficult to keep her mind on the main purpose for being there: the case. She tried to speak to him, to ask the questions she would ask any witness, but words caught in her throat.

"Mr. uh Stabler, I'm Detective Amaro, this is my partner, Detective Benson," Amaro broke the silence. Not knowing the situation, he could keep a clear head and work the case, much to Olivia's relief. She kept quiet and let her new partner take the lead, it made things easier. Amaro kept things professional and to the point as he began, "we understand you found the victim?"

Elliot took a sip of his coffee and nodded, it was clear to Olivia that his mind was flashing back to the scene she had just left; it had to be horrible to walk in on that after leaving the job. His face was lined more than it had been the last time she had seen it. His eyes looked dull and lifeless and dark circles underneath made him look years older. This was not the man that had stood by her side for 12 years; that man had been replaced by someone defeated by life. That was more horrifying to Olivia than any rape victim or crime scene ever could hope to repeat; the slow demise of the once great Elliot Stabler. He cleared his throat and tried to speak. The voice that came out sounded like gravel in a coffeemaker; another sign of what had to be horrible stress.

"Um, yeah, I was making my rounds at 7 and I noticed a shoe on the floor and some spilled coffee outside an office. I used my key and opened the door. I saw Amanda lying on the floor, barely moving. I called it in and stayed with her until the uni's and a bus arrived." He still sounded like he was giving a report as a cop, but there was even less emotion than Elliot ever kept as a cop. It was almost like he was in shock, which was understandable.

"How well did you know the victim," Olivia found her voice but she realized it didn't sound like she was talking to her partner, it came out more like she was addressing a perp. She cleared her throat and tried again, "you used her first name, was she a friend?"

"I wouldn't say friend, her dad and I served together in the Marines, it was just coincidence that we worked in the same building. I normally work the day shift, but I switched with a guy for the holidays so someone would be home with Eli while school's out." A smile crept over his face. He felt something for this girl, probably treated her like she was a daughter. She was older than Kathleen, his oldest, but that wouldn't change a paternal instinct in him. Olivia remembered when her partner went out his way countless times to take care of her. It was just his way.

"Eli?" Amaro raised an eyebrow at this. "Who's Eli?"

"My youngest son, he just turned 5. My wife's been working since he went to kindergarten and she can't switch her schedule. Sorry, I forget you don't know me that well. I worked SVU for 12 years. Liv was my partner." He looked to Olivia and smiled again. The shock was wearing off and he was beginning to look like the Stabler she remembered.

"Okay," Amaro acknowledged the shared look between the two but kept the momentum of the conversation professional and on track. "So, what time did you come to work today?"

"Seven, and I started my rounds at about 7:30." Elliot went back to his matter-of-fact reporting tone as he kept answering questions. "I'm supposed to check over floors 8 through 12 every three hours and then sit at the front while someone else checks four more floors. The building only has cameras at the entrances and the elevators so the guards have to walk around to make sure no one steals office equipment."

"So what was she doing there all alone, it's the holidays, isn't the school closed?" Olivia broke in, the thought just occurring to her. Why was the victim working on an empty floor during a holiday week?

"Only some departments take off for the break. The nursing college stays open and staffed between semesters. I guess she didn't have vacation time to take like some of the others. You'd have to ask her why, but I'll bet that's what she'll say."

"Have there been any reports of strange characters hanging around the school after hours?" Amaro was running through the witness playbook by the numbers, but he had a tone in his voice as if he didn't quite trust Elliot. Olivia figured she would ask him about it when they were alone, no sense in stirring up trouble now, they could lose the only potential witness they had.

"Not that I know of, but I've only been working after hours a week or so, but I could contact the head of security and the regular night guy to double check." He pulled out his cell phone to make the call, but stopped when he saw the room door open and a female doctor walking out. Elliot looked up and motioned to her so Olivia and Amaro would turn around.

Olivia turned to face a young female doctor exiting the room. The doctor had a pained look on her face, and her eyes looked worn. She sighed as she spoke, and it was unclear if the sighing was from exhaustion or the victim's condition or a combination of both. She began slowly, "Detectives, I'm Dr. Gibbons, I worked on Amanda. She has a severe concussion, a fractured cheekbone, three broken ribs, multiple contusions on her arms, back and thighs, and severe vaginal tearing. This guy beat her up and raped her for a prolonged period of time. Toxicology revealed she had a concentrated amount of alprazolam in her blood. She's pretty shaken up, but she's awake so you can go in, but tread lightly. This girl's been through a horrible ordeal and I'm not about to let you set her off,"

Olivia looked at the doctor and nodded, "we'll be careful. You said she had alprazolam in her system, that's Xanax, could that be from a prescription?"

"The amount she had would never be prescribed as a dosage. Average dose is 4 milligrams, she had the equivalent of 4 times that in her blood, and that was after who knows how long. No, this was given to her, probably as a way to induce amnesia. Xanax and Rohypnol are in the same class of drugs, and we're starting to see more Xanax induced rapes since it's easier to get legally and can be dismissed in a test as possible prescribed use."

"Any evidence from the rape kit," Amaro inquired, hoping that the scumbag that did this had left them a way to catch him.

"Some fibers from the rapists clothing and maybe hair, but there were no fluids and a trace of spermicidal lubricant."

"Bastard used a condom," Elliot responded as he would have if he were working the case himself. The doctor and detectives looked at him with looks of surprise on his face. Olivia knew it was probably just a slip of the tongue for him to respond that way, but she knew that it would bother her new partner. She gave Elliot a glare of disapproval and he raised his hands in submission.

"That would be my guess," Dr. Gibbons said looking back at the two she figured were detectives, "you two can go see her. Now that they are here, Mr. Stabler, I can stitch up that hand wound if you'll care to follow me."

Olivia looked down and Elliot's left hand and just under his thumb, she saw a bandage with evidence of blood seeping through. She gestured to it and laughed, "What, you getting clumsy in your old age, El?"

He looked down and almost shook it off. "No, when I tried to help Amanda she fought back and bit me. She thought I was the creep coming back for more. I didn't want to get it fixed until you guys got here so I could give my statement quickly."

"Well, thank you for all you given us," Amaro said, "Get yourself fixed up and if you can think of anything else, you know where to find us."

"I most certainly do," Elliot grinned and waved to Olivia. He looked to her as though he wanted to say more, but he stopped. Olivia figured it was too awkward to say goodbye, but she didn't have time to dwell on sadness as she watched him walk away. She turned and entered the room to talk to her victim.


	3. Chapter 3

Amanda Sorenson lay in a regulation hospital bed but she looked dwarfed by it. Her face was purple and swollen, her right eye shut. Her left eye had a dark spot under it as a result of the right fractured cheekbone. Olivia winced as she looked at the young woman who seemed so small. The girl opened her left eye and moaned in pain. Olivia walked to the bed slowly, as not to appear threatening and thus sparking panic in the girl.

"Amanda, I'm Olivia and this is my partner, Nick," She spoke softly and warmly, "if you're up to it, we have some questions about your attack."

Amanda moaned and took a breath, tears coming to her eyes. She managed a small nod, despite whatever pain she felt resulting from the injuries to her ribs.

"Did you see the man who attacked you," Olivia began, "is there anything you can tell us about him?"

Amanda took a breath again, and Olivia could see the pain rippling through her as speech was nearly impossible. When words did come, they were in a strained whisper. "I didn't see his face, my office is too dark."

"Can you tell us what happened?"

"I-I-I can't remember much, I know I was just getting to work and my lamp went out so I tried to turn on my light, and there he was. He hit me, but after that I can't remember…" Amanda groaned in pain as she put her hand up to her head. Olivia looked to her partner as if to ask if this interview should continue. Protocol stated that the earliest you can get someone to talk, the stronger the memories will be, but this was putting the girl at risk.

"Are you okay to go on with this?" Amaro asked, reading his partner's mind. "We can stop if you aren't feeling up to it."

"No, I'm okay, it just hurts."

"Hmm, has anyone been hanging around the building or have you received any calls that hung up?" Amaro was truly trying to trigger some sort of memory since there wasn't much evidence to go on yet. It was the fine trick of the police to find information where none might exist otherwise.

"No, I don't get many calls, and the semester ended, people don't hang around much. The staff has to work the break but we get compensation for that time. I was planning to take a vacation after New Year's," she groaned a bit as she moved to breathe better, "I wish I had left like everybody else."

"Amanda is there anything you can tell us about your attacker, was there an aftershave he wore, could you tell if he had short or long hair? Anything might help us find him." Olivia had said this to countless victims and it never got any easier. She knew she had to delve into their most painful memories, but if it helped to catch someone who terrorized them, then it was worth it.

Amanda closed her eyes and grew silent for what seemed like forever. She finally spoke, "he was wearing aftershave, Old Spice, I think. My dad used to wear it, but there was something else…. It was… baby lotion… yeah; I tasted it when I bit his hand."

Amaro and Olivia exchanged glances: she bit her attacker? Maybe there was DNA in her mouth and they could use it. This could be the one and only thing that broke the case. Olivia looked down at the woman and grew very quiet as she asked the next question. "Amanda, when you bit him, did you draw blood?"

"Yeah, I think so, I spit it at him and I felt it hit my shirt. I wanted there to be some kind of evidence in case he…." She stopped talking and her head drooped. Olivia jumped up and touched her arm, causing Amanda to wake a little. "Sorry, I just dropped out; I guess I'm getting a little tired."

"It's okay," Olivia said, "we can come back later. Thank you for all your help and if there's anything else you think about, take my card. You can call me anytime." She placed her business card on the table beside the bed and the two detectives left the room.

Outside the room, Olivia looked at her partner and sighed, her eyes wide open. Amaro looked back and then back to his notes. There had to be something they could use to get this guy, there just had to.

"So, I'm going to take her clothes in and see what we can find on them. If she got a piece of this guy, then maybe he's in the system. This doesn't' sound like your amateur scumbag here." Amaro spoke, but it sounded far away to Olivia, she was lost in her thoughts. Seeing that young woman lying in that room brought up a ton of memories from her own near-rape experience undercover at a women's prison. Each case since that incident brought back some memory, but this one was different. She saw the battered body of someone that had come against a stronger assailant and lost dearly, and the pain and fear come back to her. She suddenly felt that panic again as her screams echoed in her head. Olivia wondered if Amanda had begged like she did, if Amanda had yelled for help only to discover her pleas were going out to oblivion with no hope of answer. Olivia's heart began to pound and sweat began to form on her palms and around her ears, she could still feel the pain after being hit by an assailant twice her size. Her breath grew short and rapid, and tears began to appear in her eyes. The girl in that room is what Olivia might have been if that guard had gotten his way and raped her, and that was a horrifying idea. She was determined that this guy wasn't going to get away with this, but she just needed evidence to put him away.

"Hey," Amaro touched her arm and Olivia snapped back into reality, "Did you hear me?"

Olivia looked at him and the fog wasn't' entirely cleared, but it was considerably thinner. "Um, yeah," Olivia managed to eek out, her throat suddenly dry, "we should get her clothes and then find out if CSU has anything from the scene that may help us."

"Are you okay," Amaro asked, "you look a little pale?"

"I'm fine," she smiled, "I think I just need some coffee and food."

"Let's pick some up after we drop these with the lab boys." Somehow Amaro had the white bag marked "Patient belongings". He took out Amanda's clothes while wearing gloves and placed them in an evidence bag. He marked it and sealed it. Olivia nodded in agreement. The last thing they wanted was some jerk defense attorney to say the cops broke chain of evidence or possibly contaminated it and the rapist walk. The two detectives left the hospital and got into their black Chevy Impala, the newest go-to model of police car since Ford stopped making the Crown Victoria, and they drove back to One Police plaza to the crime lab.

On the way Olivia looked out the window and her thoughts again settled on Elliot. This reunion didn't seem like a chance meeting to her. There was something to this case that was driving her mad, but she couldn't figure it out, some detail that didn't feel right. She ran through the victim's statement in her head, trying to find something that didn't fit with what they already knew. Then, it hit her, a thought which seemed horrible and crazy and almost too much to believe: Amanda had bit her attacker and Elliot had been bitten on the arm. No, she thought, that can't be possible; there was something else, there had to be, Elliot Stabler couldn't be a rapist, could he?


	4. Chapter 4

All Angeles Church

251 West 80th St

9:00 p.m.

Amanda Rollins sat in the chilly church basement listening to a middle aged man share his sad story of gambling. She had been coming to Gambler's Anonymous meetings for close to a year now, and listening to others was still difficult for her. It was getting close to football playoff season so more newbies were appearing in meetings. Rollins understood the desire to bet, but she had a huge reason not to give into the temptation; her career. Captain Cragen had put it plain and simple last February when he agreed to help her with her addiction: screw up again and she was out. Being a cop was all she ever wanted to do, and she was good at it, but the action of betting had blocked her from the rush of arresting a criminal. Now that she had been away from that world, her mind was clearer and she had improved her investigative abilities.

"So I started giving out numbers to cards with little activity to work off my debt…" The man, a banker, was still sharing and Rollins found herself sighing at how lucky she had been to be caught before she abused her power to work off the debt. The stories she had heard made her wonder how bad things might have gotten before she hit her "rock bottom". Would she have looked up records for people her bookie wanted to find? Would she have destroyed evidence pointing to a criminal who happened to be "friendly" with her bookie? Thinking on it now, she could say no, but when a person is pushed, even the most righteous had the capability of straying.

Her cellphone vibrated violently close to her hip and she jumped slightly. She slid her hand into her jacket pocket and looked at the screen. She had a text from her partner, Fin Tutuola, stating they had a case and he was waiting for her outside. She looked up, hoping no one had noticed the interruption. She rose, grabbed her leather coat from the back of her chair and quietly slipped out. Normally, she would have waited until the end, but Fin never interrupted a meeting unless it was important, Cragen wouldn't let him. She was allowed to attend meetings while on duty if it was necessary, but Rollins tried to keep it from becoming a habit. She walked out of the church and was hit with a blast of cold air as was typical of late December weather. She shivered and considered walking back in and letting Fin wait on her, this was insane.

Just then, a charcoal gray Dodge Charger pulled up and flashed its headlights. The thought of going back inside was dashed since Fin had arrived. She ran to the car, opened the door, and hurriedly sat down, grateful for the heat. Fin looked at his partner as an awkward silence befell the car's cabin. He knew about her problem and was the one to encourage Rollins to tell Cragen, but a hitman working for her bookie gave her up first. Since then, the two had hardly spoken about the elephant in the room. He honestly didn't know what to say without sounding like a complete jerk. He just cleared his throat as Rollins closed the door and he put the car into gear. They rode along for what seemed like hours before she spoke.

"So, what's the case?"

"Got a victim at NYU, girl was found in her office by a guard. "

"NYU, isn't school out? Is she a student?" Rollins was surprised that student would be in a school this week.

Fin shook his head as he turned a corner, "No, she was working in the Registrar's office this week. Strange though, Liv got a call there over an hour ago to another floor."

Rollins raised her eyebrows; she knew what two victims found in a similar location meant; serial. "Wow, we haven't one of those in a while, a serial rapist."

"We don't know if it's the same M.O., but it's possible."

The two let that last statement hang in the air like a bubble suspended in gel. Serial rapists were never fun cases, it usually meant lots of hours and possibly more victims before any suspects were caught. It would be even worse if the guy was smart and knew something about police procedure and crime scenes. It was cases like this that made Fin wish he had stayed in Narcotics. Those were cut and dry most days, drug dealers shoot each other, kill users for money, got caught and went away. Rape, especially multiple victims was an emotional toll. One he wasn't sure his partner was ready for.

NYU

726 Broadway, 8th floor, Suite c

10:00 p.m.

CSU guys were standing outside the room when Fin and Rollins arrived, but they weren't waiting for a coroner, the room was horribly small, barely enough room for a desk and some file cabinets. Fin looked in and saw papers scattered, a computer monitor cast aside on the floor and a small pool of blood. He immediately motioned for the uniformed officer to step outside and talk with him. The officer looked like a guy who had tried too many times for a promotion, but gave up and accepted the beat life. He was a weathered guy with graying hair at the temples. Fin knew that this wasn't this guys' first trip to the rodeo so they should get a decent report.

"What happened, Officer Collings?"

"Guard was doing rounds at 9 and found the door was cracked and the light on. He opened it up and there she was lying in the middle of the floor. She was barely breathing so we called EMS and she's off to Bellevue. I'm afraid she's worse off than the one upstairs, so who knows." Officer Collings shook his head and took off his hat to wipe sweat from his forehead. A room that small with lights and CSU had to be unbearably hot, not to mention the fact it was a rape scene which would make any man sweat a little.

Rollins was taking notes that Fin would probably read later simply because her writing was easier to read. She looked up as if she was trying to put something together in her head. "Where's the guard that found her?"

"He's on the first floor with the head of University Police, trying to get camera footage for you guys. Two rapes in one day, everyone's hopping around to find something."

"Did he find the first one?" Rollins was trying to establish a pattern. Usually the first person to "discover" victims was the first suspect. If this guy found both, then they might have some kind of lead.

"Nah, I asked the guys upstairs and they mentioned the guard that found that one rode to the hospital with her. You know, you guys might want to talk to your people that worked that one."

Rollins smiled a sarcastic smile. She really hated when people tried to tell her how to do her job. Patrolmen were not detectives, and they sometimes got lucky, but she knew what to do. She looked to Fin and he just shook his head as if to tell her to drop the comment that was right on the tip of her tongue. No sense rocking the boat with the beat guys. They really helped make a case a lot of the time.

"Thank you so much, we'll let you know if we need any more help."

The detectives turned to walk back to the elevator to find the mysterious guard. As they left they head the officer sob a little. Rollins smiled inwardly, it was always good to know that she wasn't the only one who let this job get to her. The two stepped into the elevator and Fin turned to her , his face more grim than normal.

"Just what was the purpose of the conversation you wanted to get into back there?"

"What, I just have a problem with uni's trying to stick their noses where they haven't ever been. Of course we're going to talk to the other guys, our cases are linked. I'm just irritated."

"Hey, I know how you feel, but you can't let them get to you. Remember, if you upset them, then they may decide to clam up when it comes to details." He was right, and she knew that, but still, the fire of frustration burned in her and she wanted to yell.

They stepped off the elevator on the first floor to find a chubby, middle aged man standing at the front desk with an older woman in jeans and a sweater. Her red hair was pulled back in a rather messy style and she had no makeup on. It was clear she had dressed in a hurry and she wasn't happy to give up a night for something like this. But who really was happy in a situation like this? She looked up at the detectives as they approached.

"Detectives, I'm Molly Graham, the Special Victims Liaison for the university, and we are here to help you in any way necessary." She stood shaky and desperately trying to maintain composure. This was a major blow to the crime statistics they reported yearly, not to mention the possibility of lawsuits from the injured employees.

"I'm Detective Tutuola, this is my partner, Detective Rollins, and we understand you have some security footage for us?" Fin pushed through the awkward feelings to business. He was anxious to get things rolling. The sooner the found out what happened, the sooner they could get to finding this guy before he did more damage.

"Um, yes, we're downloading it to a disc for you now." She gestured to the man behind the desk, "I take you would like to speak to our guard here, Ronnie?"

The middle aged guard stepped towards the detectives looking a bit rattled and surprisingly nervous. His hands were shaking and he wiped his palms on his gray pants to dry the sweat there. Rollins noticed this and wondered if they guy was nervous about talking to them because he was guilty of the rape or if he was nervous because of something unrelated. It always struck her as interesting at how some people were naturally nervous about talking to the police even when they weren't guilty of any crime at all. The three walked over to couches near the front door and sat down. Fin on one side, Rollins on the other and the nervous guard in the middle.

"Tell us what happened," Rollins began, trying to sound soft and non-confrontational like she was taught. It was meant to establish trust and refrain from accusing until they had a reason to.

"Um, I came on at about 7 and I sat at the front until the early guy finished his rounds. We rotate to have someone up here at all times just in case a student goes crazy and tries to break in or something. Anyway, about 8, I get a call on the radio that the guy found that other girl on the 11th floor. I called the ambulance and you guys. Boss told us to check all the floors just to make sure no one was hiding out. I walked the 8th, and when I checked the Registrar's office, I found the door was open a bit, that's when I saw her…."

He began to tear up and his words were choked back. Fin and Rollins exchanged looks. If this guy was acting, then he deserved an Oscar, that scene had affected him and probably scarred him for life. The first time one sees a rape victim laying in the middle of the scene does something to the psyche. Ronnie cleared his throat and looked down at the floor, trying to regain some masculine sensibility, and then he looked to the detectives.

"Was she conscious? Did she say anything?" Finn continues with the interview saying nothing about the breakdown. It was understood that nothing would be said about Ronnie acting human.

"No, she was out, but I checked and she was breathing." Ronnie nodded and a relieved look crept across his face.

"Has anyone had any problems with the victim that you know of? Have you seen anyone hanging around the office or outside the building that shouldn't be?"

"I haven't seen anyone around the building, but I don't know about any problems, you'd have to ask the day guys or her sup for that one. Nothing much happens at night, we just kinda baby-sit the building and keep students out"

Rollins captured all this in her notes and nodded to Fin when she was done. This was all they could think to ask at this point. Evidence would point them in a better direction as it came in so they thanked Ronnie, gave them their business cards and requested he call them with any other problems. They took the disc with the security footage and left to talk to this new victim.


End file.
